(
Originally published on my w2forum journal on 3rd aug 2006)
This might sound a bit too far fetched, but I have been a firm believer in a concept that the future of communications, mobile communications- to be precise, is going to be device form factor agnostic , ubiquitous and pervasive.
I am amazed by the advances in man-machine interfaces and in the knowledge that we are on the threshold of graduating to a higher form of interface - neural. In the future, we will no longer be using key-pads to dial in numbers or even play games! The screen itself will be redundant - we will 'see' in our mind. I call this B2BC, brain-to-brain communication- almost telepathy.
I am imagining a few typical use-cases:
1. Just think of whom you want to communicate with, close your eyes(?) and you would be able to communicate at the speed of thought. Perhaps, even see through the other person's eyes, and even feel the other person's emotions!
2. Or, say you suddenly fall ill. All you have to do is think of your doctor! And the doctor gets a sense that you are in distress and more importantly - can feel your pain! Diagnosis will be real-time and probably the paramedics would already be on your door-step before you can realize.
3. Immersive MMORPGs. Most youngsters of that time will live most of their lives 'in' a virtual world - Matrix style ;-). The 'gaming' experience would be as close as it gets to reality. Many people would need special therapies to help them differentiate between what is real and what is not.
Check out these links to get a feel of what I was ranting:
1. CNN Money. Surfing the Web with nothing but brainwaves.
money.cnn.com/2006/07/21/technology/googlebra...
2. CNN Money. Google on your brain.
money.cnn.com/2006/07/26/technology/futureoft...
3. BBC News. Brain sensor allows mind-control.
news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/5167938.stm
4. Cyberkinetics neural interface system.
www.cyberkineticsinc.com/content/medicalprodu...
5. Cyberkinetics brain-computer 'platform'.
www.cyberkineticsinc.com/content/technology/p...
What do you feel about these developments?
What about ethics? Who controls what?
Do you think this is the ultimate future of communications?